A Moose Jaw family lost their home in an early morning fire Saturday, but their lives were saved by working smoke detectors, said Fire Department Chief Garth Palmer.

“Our information indicates the smoke alarms were working ... and that they were, indeed, activated,” Palmer told the Times-Herald Tuesday. “We’ve been trying to get the message out about smoke alarms, and this is certainly an example of why.”

Fire engines responded to the fire, on the 0 block of Oxford St. W, at approximately 2:30 a.m. Saturday morning, a Moose Jaw Fire Department release said.

A neighbour had assisted the family in getting out of their home and was taken to Union Hospital for smoke inhalation.

A Moose Jaw Police Service release said the fire caused an estimated $50,000 in damages to the home.

The family is currently homeless due to the damages, said Palmer.

Palmer didn’t want to “diminish the efforts of the individual who came along to assist the family” on Saturday morning, but attributed their survival largely to the working smoke detectors that alerted them to the fire.

“It was a little difficult to determine because there was a language barrier (with the family), but the fire investigator confirmed the smoke detectors were working,” said Palmer.